Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Dreamy Eyes Artistry

If you've been reading my blog from the very beginning, then you know that my Diverse Ability is called Arthrogryposis. When I was a teenager, I had to write a paper for school that was basically a mini-autobiography. At that time, I began researching all about this "disability." What I got out of my research was that Arthrogrposis is a birth defect that affects the joints and muscles, mainly causing severe joint contractures. It affects each person differently and doesn't always affect the same joints across the board. The one word that continued to stand out to me during my research was RARE. My condition is described as rare. During adolescence, when we want nothing more than to be accepted, to belong, the last thing a young lady wants to hear is that her differences are RARE!

Throughout my life so far, I've been truly blessed to meet other people with Arthrogryposis. Unfortunately for me, most of them were male, or were females at a very different point in life. This is why I was incredibly excited to virtually meet Jessica Ruiz!

Jessica is a young female entrepreneur who just happens to have Arthrogryposis. Like me, Jessica has limited use of her arms and hands, and does many things with her mouth. At the age of 10, Jessica began developing a love of cosmetology. In an effort to boost her own self-esteem and distract her bullies, this Philly girl began doing her own make-up! When her schoolmates saw how beautiful her makeup artistry was, they began asking her to do theirs too. Yes with her mouth!!

After graduating high school, Jessica applied to colleges where she hoped to hone her talent. However, each school she wanted to attend turned her down. One school told her she would need to bring in her own makeup models, because their models wouldn't want her so close to their face. Another school went as far as tearing up her application right in front of her! Despite these obstacles, Jessica promised her grandfather that she would pursue her dreams no matter what just before he passed away from cancer.

Determined to follow her dream, Jessica began teaching herself techniques by practicing and watching Youtube videos. She launched her own business Dreamy Eyes Artistry and got her first big break working at the second annual Philadelphia Small Business Fashion Week! Since then, she has been featured in People Magazine, Philadelphia Daily News, and TV interviews. She now sees 3-4 clients per week and is raising funds to open her own Glam Bar. Jessica has almost 7,000 followers on Instagram and is a true #GirlBoss.

Jessica Ruiz wearing c+i's Mirabelle Collar Necklace

It is a true honor to have such a powerhouse DiversAble Model like Jessica supporting my Chloe + Isabel business and The DiversAble Model Project! When you make an order from my boutique, these are the types of people and dreams you're supporting. I'd love to support Jessica's dream and get her GoFundMe page to its goal. Today through July 4th, a portion of the proceeds of all orders of the Mirabelle Collar Necklace and/or the Liquid Lipstick Set will be donated to helping Jessica achieve her dreams!